On top of raising exotic insects like giant katydids and Madagascar hissing cockroaches and caring for butterflies from chrysalid to conservatory, they also get to experience the awesome combination of kids + creepy crawlies with their Bugs on Wheels program. In the video below, they’ll take you behind the scenes of the Cockrell Butterfly Center and through their typical day – from feeding the insects to getting the butterflies ready to flutter – plus show you some amazing insects up close.

You can see their creepy crawlies – and the beautiful butterflies – at a visit during a visit to the Cockrell Butterfly Center. The walk-through tropical rainforest habitat makes a nice burst of springtime in the winter and it’s perfect for families with kids of any age.

The Cockrell Butterfly Centeris just one of the fun and fascinating options for families at the Houston Museum of Natural Science during the holiday season. In a take-off of everyone’s favorite holiday classic, The 12 Days of Christmas, we’ve got 12 ideas for fabulous family fun this holiday and we’ll be sharing the possibilities here every day until Christmas Eve. Best of all, most are activities that last past the holiday season – some, year round. You can also check them all out now at the spiffy new 12 Days of HMNS web site.